The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-07-02
Ghe 6armer.
FATTENING FOWLS.
From Guide to Poultry.

FFOm UutuC ~ Outtfys
An excellent plan is to place them in
fattening houses constructed especially for
the purpose. Each may be made to hold
from ten to twenty fowls, and should be
warm and comfortable, with raised earth
floors, covered with layer of gravel strewed
slightly with straw; the house must be kept
perfectly clean Several troughs for food
and water should be placed in the house, so
that each bird may have easy access to
them. For fattening fowls, the use of a
perch is contrary to the usual practice; but
it may be allowed during the first portion
of the time for this purpose few perches
may be placed in the house, but they will
not be required long, for as soon as fowls
begin to fatten from feeding they will pre-
fer to roost in the straw. By this method
fowls may be fattened to as high degree,
and their flesh will be as delicate as could
be made.
Another plan is to fatten in coops
These may be about three feet high, two
wide and four long, which will furnish
room for six or eight fowls, according to
their size The coops may also be built in
compartments about ten inches by twenty,
and twenty high The floor should consist
of wooden bars, about two inches wide and
two apart, with the upper edges rounded,
the bars extending from side to side OF the
coops. The front should be enclosed with
rails about an inch wide and two inches
apart. The coops should be placed in
well ventilated house, kept at a moderately
warm temperature and free from draughts,
the fronts being covered with mating in
cold weather Large wooden trays the
size of the coops, and filled with dry earth,
should be placed on the ground, and the
GOODS fixed two or three inches above them;
the trays should be cleaned out daily.
The most easily digested food should be
given to the fowls, and but little grain.
Buckwheat meal is the best; to its use the
French attribute their great success in
sending well-fattened fowls to market. The
next best food is corn meal and barley meal
in equal proportions, and mixed with milk,
if possible. Barley meal and oat meal,
given alternately mixed with milk, or at
times with a little drippings, is an excellent
fattening food; some give drippings regu-
larly and with excellent results. Chopped
green food should be supplied fresh every
day. The fowls should be fed from troughs
kept perfectly clean, at regular periods;
early in the morning and again just before
roosting time are the best; and as soon as
sufficient has been eaten the troughs should
be taken away; little fine gravel must be
placed within reach to aid the digestion of
the food A sufficient supply of clean
,,oaoesor,y ouJ ,,,,,ct olUavS he NJ
cessible. Should the confinement in the
coops produce vermin, little powdered
sulphur rubbed into the roots Of the feathers
will soon prove a remedy. The process of
fattening may be completed in ten days il
the fowls are kept in the dark, but it will
extend to twenty days if they are kept in
the light. The flesh of those fattened in
the light is, however, superior to that OF
those kept in the dark. As soon as the
fowls are in proper condition they should
be killed, otherwise they will speedily lose
flesh, and become feverish and unfit fol
food. After the fowls are removed fol-
market or killing, the coops should be well
washed with lime and dried before other
birds are placed under them.
Agreeing as we do, with all the highest
authorities, that the method of fattening
poultry by "cramming" is objectionable,
chiefly on account of the coarse aud inferior
flesh produced by it, we omit giving any
description of the process.
Fowls that have been fattened should be
kept without food or water for ten or twelve
hours before being killed. They will then
keep much better, as the fermenting of food
in the crops and bowels often causes them
to turn green in warm weather. If the
crop and bowels are empty, the fowls should
not be drawn; they will keep much longer
without it. They should be plucked while
warm, and then dipped for moment in
boiling water, to give them a good plump
appearance; but they must not be packed
until quite cold. When appearance is moi
an object, great deal of time may be saved
in pluckipg fowls by dipping them for hall
a minute in boiling water just before be
ginning to pluck them. In this way
fowls can be plucked in one-fourth the
usual time, and, with care, it need not injurt
their appearance for table.